ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

I Do Not Feel Old!

Updated on August 19, 2013
80 years young
80 years young

I Don't Know About You But I Don't Feel Old

When I was younger (not so long ago) I thought 50 was about as old as a person could get. Then, as I entered my 30s and 40s and saw how quickly 50 was approaching me, I considered 60 to be the ‘old age’ mark. Then the inevitable happened—I started to creep very close to 60! I had to recognize that retirement was around the corner.

What is happening? I am still so young!

Being called a ‘senior’ was bad enough! But being called an ‘elderly’ person was just outrageous! So I started saying I was “North of 55.”

Now don’t get me wrong. Now that I am over 60, I don’t mind receiving ‘concession’ rates on buses or receiving seniors’ discounts at stores (although they no longer ask me to prove I am a senior), I just don’t want to be considered ‘old’.

Functional Age vs. Chronological Age

I soon learned that chronological age does not correlate perfectly with functional age. For example, two people may be the same age but differ in their mental and physical capacities. And it is functional age that can make the difference in where we live and how we live.

In order to live in a world dedicated to the young, beautiful and active, I had to learn what it is that makes a person feel young no matter what their age.


Photo of Anna Pavlova 1881-1931 - Prima ballerina of the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres - in the title role of the ballet Giselle
Photo of Anna Pavlova 1881-1931 - Prima ballerina of the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres - in the title role of the ballet Giselle

Living Independently, Living Successfully

Part of feeling young as a senior today is maintaining your sense of independence. Being able to continue to do many, if not most, of the things you used to do and enjoyed doing is one of the best ways to continue to feel young.

If your greatest joy in life was being a prima ballerina, you may find you can not keep up this activity to the same extent as you used to. What if, however, you also enjoyed photography. Why not photograph young ballerinas just beginning their dancing career? Or if you enjoy writing or teaching, why not write about your experiences or teach, at least some aspect of being a great ballerina, to young aspiring dancers.

Although I was never a prima ballerina, I was used to being involved in many creative activities while balancing studying for a master’s degree, while traveling extensively for work, while getting married, and while managing a large house and garden. It took a great deal of energy, good physical and emotional health, as well as the ability to coordinate tasks and priorities.


I have some assistance at home now, so I have the time to go out and enjoy a cup of tea.
I have some assistance at home now, so I have the time to go out and enjoy a cup of tea.

Oh No! I Can’t Do All the Things I Used to Do!

I found I could no longer weed the garden for as long as I used to. I could no longer get all my housework done in a whirlwind of frenetic activity. And I found that I could not prepare a holiday dinner for family and friends, decorate, and clean-up afterwards without help.

And, that is the key. I found I could not do all the things I used to do without help!

Regaining a Sense of Independence

Part of feeling young (for me) was regaining and maintaining my earlier sense of independence. I realized I couldn’t do all the things I used to do, but, I also realized that if I had some help in some areas of my life then I could do more of the things I enjoyed.

It wasn’t easy asking for help, but I soon got over that!


If I want the best quality of life I can have now and in the future then I need information and resources.

There are many sources of information on what kinds of assistance are available to seniors: financial, in-home help, mobility devices, etc. This is the topic of my next hub/article. In this article I would like to mention a few types of Assistive Devices that are relatively inexpensive and can help a senior live longer in their home.

Types of Assistive Devices

When the everyday activities of living start to become burdensome or when a senior could use some help with daily routines, assistive devices can be the difference between home-bound isolation and actively engaging in life. It is not easy to call someone every time you need to open a jar, button a shirt, or make a hot meal. I did not realize how many people face this dilemma every day. It saddens me to think that my neighbor could use the tiniest bit of attention from me to make her life significantly better and I do not even know this small need exists.


Assistive Devices for Seniors

Grab bars around tub.  Notice tub is a walk-in tub.
Grab bars around tub. Notice tub is a walk-in tub.
Grab bars around toilet.
Grab bars around toilet.
Pill organizer for daily use
Pill organizer for daily use
Reaching device - strong and sturdy.
Reaching device - strong and sturdy.

Bathing Devices:

- Bathtub bench or chair

- Grab bars

- Soap and lotion applicators that reach to the back

- Handheld showers with on/off spigot

Dressing Devices:

- Button hook

- Long handle shoehorn

- Device for pulling on socks without having to bend

- Long handled combs and brushes

Drug Management Devices:

- Daily and weekly pill organizers

- Timer for when to take medications

- Pill splitters and pill crushers

Daily Living Devices:

- Jar opener

- Multi purpose knob turner

- Key holder for use when unlocking a door

- Night light

- Rope ladder for rising from a prone position on bed

- Reaching devices

These devices are just a few of the many (inexpensive) devices that are available today to help seniors cope with every day chores.


Grandson helps grandma with a few extra Assistive Devices - making life easier and safer
Grandson helps grandma with a few extra Assistive Devices - making life easier and safer | Source
Here's to Feeling Young at Any Age!
Here's to Feeling Young at Any Age!

Here’s to Successful Living at any age!

These simple kinds of assistive devices can make all the difference in a senior’s life. This made me realize that living independently was more a matter of maintaining the best health I can (mentally, physically, emotionally), finding out what kinds of assistance may be available to me to make my life easier, and keeping a positive attitude.


2011-2012; Maralexa, Marilyn Alexander, MBA. All rights reserved.


© 2011 Marilyn Alexander

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)